


Lies, the Truth, and Half-Truths

by Diary



Category: Scandal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Season/Series 06, Awkwardness, Bechdel Test Fail, Canon Character of Color, Canon Gay Character, Canon Queer Character, Dark Character, Episode AU: s06e03 Fates Worse Than Death, Established Charlie/Quinn Perkins, Established Cyrus Beene/Tom Larsen, Established Relationship, Late Night Conversations, Morally Ambiguous Character, Multi, POV Cyrus Beene, POV Male Character, POV Queer Character, Post-Season/Series 05 AU, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-25 17:25:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9834071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: AU. A look at if Cyrus had handled things differently during Fates Worse Than Death. Complete.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Scandal.

After Jennifer leaves, Cyrus looks over. “Was she- what happened to her?”

Frankie stares.

“Sir? We-”

“You thought we were having an affair, and you did- this. How-”

“I- what? I’m sorry, this night has just gotten very confusing. You call, I find a beaten up girl sitting in here with you, and now-”

“Cut the crap, Cyrus. I knew you were ambitious. Ruthless, even. But I thought-”

“Okay, wait. Frankie, listen to me,” Cyrus insists. He takes a breath. “That young woman is- I have Ella. Do you remember that? I have a little girl. After Jerry was killed, I was the one who personally oversaw Karen Grant’s new security detail. Liv is my opponent, but if someone hurt her, I would wage war.”

“Jennifer said-”

“And I’m certainly not calling her a liar, I wouldn’t, under these circumstances, but there is a good chance she is wrong. No, I’m stating unequivocally, if she believes I had anything to do with her being hurt, she is wrong.”

Frankie stares at him. “Swear to me, Cyrus, you didn’t do this.”

“I didn’t do this,” Cyrus states. “Now, yes, I was concerned about you potentially having an affair with her, and I was planning to talk to you about it, but an awkward conversation _with you_ was where it would have begun and ended. It’s possible whoever hurt her had the same suspicions I had and decided- I don’t know. Someone obviously wanted her and you to believe I did this, but I’m not sure why. Is this an attack on me alone or your campaign?”

Groaning, Frankie rubs his head. “It’s an attack on our campaign,” he tiredly says. “Cy, I’m sorry-”

“Don’t,” Cyrus tells him. “You care about all of your staffers. I’m angry, too, about this happening. We just need to figure it out. Now, has Ms Fields talked to the police, yet? More importantly, she’s gotten medical attention, hasn’t she?”

…

“I didn’t want her hurt, Tom.”

“Jenny was a threat to your presidency.”

Sitting down, Cyrus shakes his head and pats the bed. Once Tom has sat, he says, “About that. I was hasty.”

Clasping his fingers through Tom’s, he looks over. “You once called me a kingmaker. And I am. Not a king. I do still hope to be President someday, but I care about Frankie the same way you and I both care about Fitz. For right now, I want to be the Vice-President.”

Tom is quiet for a long moment. “Because of how I handled her?”

“No,” Cyrus answers. “Although, I’m not happy about that, this has to do with the right timing. Right now, America needs, truly needs, Frankie Vargas. In a few years, Ella will be older, Michael will have all the money he could ever want, and I might be able to work out an amicable divorce and sell it to the public. If it’s what’s best for her, a suitable custody arrangement between us might- I’m never letting him take my daughter, again, but when she’s older, if he can give her a more normal life, and she wants that, as long as I always have access-”

“Right now, I can do more good for everyone, including myself, as Vice-President.”

Tom exhales. “I was loyal to President Grant. For all his faults, I was loyal, and I would have handled you if he’d needed me to. Now, I’ll handle anyone you need me to. For right now, I’ll leave Vargas alone, but you need to keep him in line, Cyrus. If he does turn out to be like Fitzgerald Grant, I’m not going to let him keep sitting in the office that rightfully belongs to you. If he’s truly what America needs, he can stay until his time is up and leave unharmed.”

“Good,” Cyrus sighs. “Thank you.”

“I’m sorry about Jenny.”

“She’ll heal. From now on, though, we need to talk about how exactly you’ll be handling people before you do.”

Tom nods.

Cupping his cheek, Cyrus kisses him, and it quickly deepens.

…

Cyrus suddenly finds himself-

Tom is staring at him in horror.

“Tom?”

Vaguely, he remembers: Frankie was shot. At one point, doctors prodded at him (Cyrus). He’s in the hospital.

“How did you get- No, sorry, that must be the shock. B6-13, former Secret Service and Navy, of course, you managed to get in undetected.”

“Cyrus, look at me,” Tom pleads.

Cyrus focuses his eyes on Tom’s face.

“I didn’t do this.”

“Promise me, Tom. Don’t- I need the truth. Just tell me the truth. Please, please, just be honest.”

“Cyrus, I didn’t shoot Vargas. I don’t know who did. I wouldn’t have, not with you so close to- I was watching the results in the hotel room.”

Sagging, Cyrus finds a wall and leans heavily against it. “Thank God. This is still- Oh, this is still a nightmare of epic proportions, but with you on my side, we have a chance of staying afloat. We’re looking at someone completely unknown, but- The first person they bring in, even if he or she pulled the trigger, they aren’t our person. It’ll likely be some lone gunmen white supremacist, like Wayne. Someone big is behind this. But aside from making sure I’m not next, we need to find out who else might be, what the motive is, and how to take this person down. We need to find out who they are.”

“You’re covered in blood,” Tom quietly says.

Cyrus looks down, covers his mouth, and manages to swallow down the vomit threatening to escape his throat.

Frankie is dead, and-    

…

When they get to OPA’s floor, Cyrus’s detail makes sure the floor is secure before going to take position outside the office and man the elevator.

Olivia stares. “If you didn’t do this-”

“Okay, you got me. I did it, Liv. Even with Fitz’s backing, the electoral college could still give it to Mellie, thankfully, my daughter, your goddaughter, fell asleep at headquarters, but I commissioned someone to shoot my candidate while Ella was backstage, oh, and of course, I wanted a joint investigation between FBI, CIA, and all the other alphabet agencies out there to be able to pick up any tiny crumb I might have inadvertently left behind!”

He shakes his head. “You don’t have to believe that I love Frankie, Olivia, and that I truly mourn him. But please, don’t tell me you’ve lost your belief in my intelligence. If I were going to kill him, wouldn’t I do it after I was unquestionably Vice-President, not just an elect, and wouldn’t I try to make it look natural or accidental?”   

Licking some jam off his fingers, Charlie pipes up, “Eh, Chief’s got a point. If he wanted the presidency, he wouldn’t be this sloppy in trying to get it.”

“Thank you, Charlie.”

“All right,” Liv quietly says. “Then, if you’re willing, we’re willing to work with you.”

“Good to hear.”

Everyone but Cyrus jumps and looks over.

“How did-” Quinn starts.

Shaking his head, Charlie squeezes her hand. “B6-13.” Coming over, he continues, “Hey, Golden Boy. Long-time no see. I’d ask what you were doing mixed up in all this, but judging by the smell of the chief’s cologne clinging to you- Hope you know what you’re getting yourself into, buddy.”

“He doesn’t,” Huck chimes in. “There might be something in the water. Everyone is sleeping with the enemy or breaking their marriage vows or helping someone else break that person’s marriage vows-”

“Hey, me and Robin are engaged and completely faithful,” Charlie protests.

“And if he ever stops being the latter, I’ve got the torturing down, but you’ll help with body disposal, won’t you, Huck,” Quinn adds.

“Say the word,” Huck responds.

“I should probably be offended, but it gets me so hot when my gorgeous, way-above my league fiancée,” he picks Quinn up and sets her in his lap, “talks like this.”

Laughing, she wraps her arms around him and kisses him.

While Huck picks up his laptop and rolls his chair across the room, Olivia grabs Cyrus by the wrist and drags him into her office.  After closing the door and blinds, she demands, “You’re sleeping with the man who killed Jerry?”

“And you’ve slept with the man who killed my husband after said killing,” Cyrus retorts. “You have no high-ground in this matter, Olivia.”

Letting out a scoffing laugh, she says, “Maybe not. But Michael- Do you love Tom, Cyrus?”

He sits down, and she follows suit.

“Tom is safe. I’m aware of all the ways he’s not. B6-13 agent, he killed Jerry, he doesn’t think like normal people do. But when I touch him, I know it’s not going to be used for blackmail. I know that I’m not going to scare him or disgust him with who I am.” Rubbing his head, he lets out a small sound. “I’d give anything to have James back, Liv. Since I can’t, however- Michael is a good person. I recognise that. He was desperate and broken, and he did what he could to give himself something better.”

“Tom, though, he’s like me in so many ways. He and I understand one another. He sees me, and he wants me. I’m not going to give up how good it feels touching this brilliant, attractive, young man to make the man who once helped try to blackmail me feel better. I’m not going to give up the safe feeling I have when I fall asleep next to Tom, because, yes, he’s an assassin, but even when I hurt him, he didn’t hurt me back.”

“Michael is free to discreetly find someone else, too. Soon, if he wants, we can cleanly break the marriage with over three million dollars in his account. To an extent, I’ll allow him to continue to be a part of Ella’s life. But however much he wants a real marriage with a faithful husband, it isn’t going to be this marriage, and I’m not going to be that husband. I love James. Tom- I might be able to love him someday. I don’t love Michael, and I never will.”

“Well, then,” she says. Standing up, she touches his shoulder. “Be careful, Cyrus. Tom’s in love with you. If you ever hurt him again, there’s a good chance the rest of your short life will be anything but safe. And- I’m not so sure I’ll be inclined to help you.”

“Fair enough.” He stands. “Ready to find out who killed Frankie?”

Gesturing towards the door, she answers, “After you, President Beene.”


End file.
